EMD Legal and Liability Issues 3

Question 1

What is 'respondeat superior' and how does it apply to EMD centers?

Accepted Answer

A doctrine making employers liable for employees' actions within their scope of employment

Answer

Respondeat superior holds the employer (dispatch center) vicariously liable for negligent acts committed by employees acting within their scope of employment.

Question 2

Which scenario represents a potential abandonment claim against an EMD?

Accepted Answer

Placing a caller on hold for 30 seconds during peak volume and never returning

Answer

Abandonment occurs when an EMD ends or suspends care obligations without ensuring patient safety or an appropriate handoff, such as leaving a caller on indefinite hold.

Question 3

A caller consents to receiving pre-arrival medical instructions over the phone. This represents which legal concept?

Accepted Answer

Expressed consent

Answer

When a caller verbally agrees to receive instructions, this constitutes expressed consent, meaning the caller has directly stated their agreement.

Question 4

For an unconscious patient, an EMD providing instructions to bystanders to begin CPR is legally justified under which doctrine?

Accepted Answer

Implied consent

Answer

Implied consent assumes that an unconscious or incapacitated patient would consent to life-saving treatment if they were able to do so.

Question 5

Which federal law most directly governs how EMD agencies handle confidential caller and patient information?

Accepted Answer

HIPAA

Answer

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) establishes national standards for protecting the privacy and security of protected health information.

(EMD) Emergency Medical Dispatch Practice Test

(EMD) Emergency Medical Dispatch Practice Test

EMD Legal and Liability Issues 3